


Morning Person

by purglepurglepurgle



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Gen, seriously it's just 500 words of Tseng sulking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-10 20:34:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20534195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purglepurglepurgle/pseuds/purglepurglepurgle
Summary: Tseng is on a business trip, and is in a bad mood.





	Morning Person

Tseng gripped the strap overhead, swaying as the Midgar train clattered along its track. He glowered. At the hotel, he had ordered his breakfast as room-service, so that he couldn't be accosted in the dining lounge (or, the 'Grub Club', as the hotel offensively insisted on terming it, because apparently 4-star hotels these days took their cues from crèches). He had rushed his food (a thoroughly-underwhelming toasted sandwich: 3000 gil, and you could get better ones at the supermarket) so that he could leave early. Now, his stomach hurt, and all for nothing, because...

"The room-service breakfast looks nice, doesn't it?" Reeve chattered, leaning too close to Tseng on the train. After all of Tseng’s meticulous planning, Reeve had still managed to corner him in the lobby. "I can never eat in the morning."

Tseng did not care.

"I feel like I should, you know, because I'm actually someone who wakes up early, even if I don't try--" Reeve imparted this fact as though it were interesting. "Well, I don't think of it as early, but 5, 6am; apparently it's not the norm?"

Tseng wondered what the penalty would be for murdering the Director on his way to work. Tseng was not an early-riser. To his horror, when he'd entered the hotel lobby that morning-- keeping his eyes closed extra-long on each blink, in a vain imitation of sleep-- Reeve had already been sitting there, coffee in hand, with a stupid _smile_ on his face. Waiting to pounce. Before Tseng could duck out of view, Reeve had leapt up and followed him-- and the Director had talked incessantly ever since. Tseng preferred not to talk to anyone before 12pm and six coffees, and he preferred never to talk to _Reeve_. But it was no good; the Director continued _prattling_, "I don't know if you saw; they've got a menu that you can hang off your door; if you put it out before 3am they bring you the food you select--" Reeve laughed, even though he had said nothing funny. "It's got checkboxes, one for each food. I wonder what happens if you tick all of them?"

"Shinra don't reimburse your travel expenses, is what happens," said Tseng. He did not smile. Much to his ire, Reeve laughed again.

"Ah, well-- kinda still wanna try it, if I'm honest with you, just to make some fun for the staff."

"They won't find it funny," said Tseng.

"What? If I were working at a hotel, that would make my _day_! Even if it pissed me off, I'd make sure to tell everyone about it."

_I bet you would._

Tseng said nothing. He idly read the text of an advert on the far wall of the train.

_"See that fellow next to you in the shabby suit? Will you please direct him to Suits'R'Us? Midgar's finest suits, coming to a sector near you!"_

_No, _thought Tseng, looking at the gap between Reeve's shirt collar and his suit collar._ I will not say anything to him, because __**telling**__ him his suit’s tacky would be even tackier than his suit. So why would I trust you to have any taste?_ He continued this mental rant for several minutes, and was just beginning to enjoy himself, when the train lurched.

"Whoops!" said Reeve. "You alright?"

Tseng said nothing. Reeve's coffee had made its bold artistic debut, splattering a large and impressive abstract design on Tseng's (expertly tailored) jacket.

"Tseng? I didn't burn you, did I?"

Tseng did not reply. He pictured the train derailing. He pictured Sephiroth slaughtering everyone in the carriage. He pictured meteor falling, anew.

"Tseng?"

**Author's Note:**

> I often headcanon Tseng as an early-riser, tbh, but I can picture him either way. Slightly inspired by this Wikipedia page section I stumbled across, which is... an experience: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W_Hotels#Features . And the advert is based closely on a real one I saw on the tube; wtaf?


End file.
